A blog of the Missouri Department of Agriculture

April 04, 2014

AgriMissouri's Weekend Garden Checklist - Week 1

We had all kinds of great plans to work in our garden this week at the office. Well, those plans were shattered along with most precipitation records this week. After 5+ inches of rain, we were swimming in our soil instead of planting. Once your garden dries up enough to walk in it, there are still some important tasks that should be done now to help your garden all summer long.

Weekend Garden Checklist

Clean Up Debris – Remove dead foliage from perennial plants and any leaves covering emerging bulbs. This will allow them to adapt to the changing temperatures and not emerge too fast. It will also make for a tidier looking garden all summer long.

Over Seed the Lawn – Seed your bare and thin spots while the ground is moist. This will reduce the amount of water it takes to make the seed germinate. Having a moist base allows the seed to draw moisture from the top down for days at a time, rather than having to water it daily.

Fertilizing Compost or Manure – Add your manure or compost now where your tomatoes, corn and other summer plants will go. Putting it down now will give it plenty of time to break down and provide maximum benefits to your plants. Pro Tip: manure should be applied 120 days before a plant is harvested for the best food safety practices.

Prepare Your Pots and Containers – Clean out your pots and containers now and refresh the soil. If you do this now and water them before planting, the soils won’t expand or settle as much when you plant later.

Get Out Your Hoses – You may not need to water now, but get your hoses now, check them for leaks and make any repairs or additions before really you need them. Trying to find the sprinklers and hoses you want in a drought is like trying to buy a snow shovel in the middle of a blizzard. They are always sold out.

So don’t let the rain and dreary weather keep you down and inside. April showers bring May flowers, and you have plenty to do to get ready regardless of the weather.

Don’t forget: there’s more than $2,500 in prizes available in this year’s Largest Watermelon & Pumpkin contest at the Missouri State Fair, so start your seeds indoor now! Check out the State Fair Premium Guide to learn more about our contests.